With just days to go before the nation’s first congestion toll begins in New York City, the pricing plan passed its final hurdle in a ruling from a U.S. district court who heard a suit from the state of New Jersey on environmental grounds. While the judge ruled the Federal Highway Administration will need to weigh in, the MTA tells NBC New York it has the green light to proceed with the start of congestion pricing this weekend saying the judge’s questions with the plan do not rise to the level of an injunction.
New York’s congestion pricing law is set to begin seconds past midnight on Jan. 5th. Under the congestion pricing plan, cars would pay a peak fee of $9 from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekends. Off-peak would be a 75% discount — $2.25.
The lawsuit from New Jersey was for tens of millions of dollars, predicting environmental harm if traffic gets worse on the other side of the river. In response to that lawsuit, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has said she offered money to settle it — but no deal was reached.
“We’ve made multiple offers to settle this lawsuit, very generous offers,” Hochul said previously.
The judge’s ruling came in a 72-page decision issued Monday evening.
“We’re gratified that on virtually every issue, Judge Gordon agreed with the New York federal court and rejected New Jersey’s claim that the Environmental Assessment approved 18 months ago was deficient,” MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said in a statement. Most important, the decision does not interfere with the program’s scheduled implementation this coming Sunday, January 5.”
The MTA has predicted there would be 10% fewer cars and trucks after the toll begins.
MTA executives have promised that billions of dollars raised by congestion pricing will pay to modernize the system all across the region.
A week before the New Jersey ruling, a federal judge in New York denied a different suit trying to pause the start of congestion pricing.
Responding to a lawsuit from the United Federation of Teachers, the Trucking Association of New York and Manhattan residents, Judge Lewis Liman issued a 111-page ruling in that case denying a request for a temporary injunction.
“Plaintiffs fail to establish a likelihood of success on the merits for any claim,” the judge wrote in his conclusion.
Source link
